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have "My Father" and "My Son". True affection and tender complacency mark these
words; even when He was charged with the guilt of His people, and smitten by the sword
of Jehovah, the Lord Jesus was as much His Father's delight as when He was with Him in
glory before the world began.
Verse 8 was fulfilled when the Lamb of God was offered as a willing Sacrifice more
than nineteen hundred years ago. What wonderful lessons we may learn here! The father
offering up his only begotten and beloved son, and, at the same time, a foreshadowing of
Israel, the Abraham of the nations, as the people who would be responsible for this awful
deed.
In verses 11-13, the angel of the Lord intervenes and points out the "ram caught in a
thicket"--another type of the Lord Himself as the One offered instead of Isaac. Every
member of Israel's race exists only on the basis of this great substitution, just as every
sinner lives only because of the "instead" of Gal. 3: 20.
This chapter ends with the birth of Rebekah, Isaac's destined bride (verse 23). The
spiritual birthplace of the Bride of the Lamb is the death of Christ, just as Eve was taken
from Adam during a deep sleep.
May we all seek to exhibit Abraham's faith and obedience, and realize more fully the
depths of grace manifested in the offering of Christ.
#5.
Isaiah's transforming Vision (Isa. 6:).
pp. 122 - 124
The historical setting of this vision is full of teaching. In II Chron. 26: 16-21 we
get the sad story of King Uzziah--the story of a presumptuous man who dared to unite
the offices of King and Priest. The uniting of these two offices will be the culminating
sin of the Antichrist (II Thess. 2: 4), for the true Priest-King is the Messiah Himself
(Psa. 110: 4). In the same year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw his vision of the One
Who was rightly Priest and King, the Lord Jesus Himself (John 12: 41).
Verse 2.--The Seraphim are fully conscious of the holiness of Him Who sits on the
throne. Their six wings are not used for flying in His service. Only two are needed for
this, the remaining four being used to acknowledge the Holiness of the Lord: "With
twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet." Prayer and worship
precede true service.
Verse 3.--The message of Heaven is the Holiness of the Lord. To understand this, is
to penetrate the mystery of the Great White Throne, the Lake of Fire, the Work of
Calvary, and the Nature of Sin.